So can we talk about the fact that the boys casually confirmed that aliens are real?

The boys The comic series is known for satirizing superheroes and corporate greed, so it might seem funny when I say that it's a relatively “grounded” comic universe, compared to some others – which is why I was actually surprised when the series casually confirmed that aliens exist in its fictional world.

As fans will know, the “supes” of The boys were created by a super serum; while it's fantastic, it's not outside the realm of possibility. Although I suppose aliens aren't either, the way the existence of extraterrestrials is met with such a flippant non-response in The boys surprised me, at least for a moment.

Ultimately, I'm not against the inclusion of aliens in The boys canon, as it makes the franchise weirder and wilder – a tall order given the Earth-bound shenanigans Ennis' characters get into – but it makes me reconsider the series as a whole.

Jupiter Jack may be fake, but there are real aliens in “The Boys” comic book universe

Aliens are so common knowledge in The boys universe, which not only Butcher knows about them, but also the general public. Butcher proves his knowledge of aliens by recounting the origin of the male version of Green Lantern, confirming that although the exact truth about aliens in The boys It's not clear, they are around to some extent. What this suggests to me is that The Boys was originally intended to be much more fantastical like DC/Marvel, before Garth Ennis seemingly altered its trajectory.

Every Supe in the Vought corporation needs an exciting origin story, of course, so they can sell merchandise. That's why Homelander has dozens of films exploring his origins and adventures. Likewise, all other members of the Seven need to be marketable. This resulted in Vought just inventing the origins of some of them. Like Jupiter Jack, which, as its name suggests, is marketed as being from the planet Jupiter. While that's not true, the important thing is that Vought believes the public will buy it.

Aliens never play a real role in the boys' story, but since Vought is more than happy to use aliens in its marketing, it's fair to assume that audiences simply accept them as real. This is especially true because Vought uses the excuse of an alien invasion to explain the events of the Herogasm, a massive orgy that the Supes participate in every year to “let off steam.” I don't think Vought could use the excuse of an “alien invasion” if the public didn't already readily accept the existence of aliens in this universe.

Galaxius is “The Boys” unbelievable version of Galactus, a world-destroying alien

Other Boys The alien proof I'd like to highlight is Galaxius, an obvious parody of the iconic Marvel character Galactus. In the Marvel Universe, Galactus is a character with endless hunger. He must consume planets to satisfy his hunger. This causes him to frequently come to Earth and attempt to consume it, only to be repelled by the Fantastic Four. In The boysGalaxius needs to find sexual pleasure, and only a hero has the power to satisfy him. This results in Galaxius continually returning to Earth again and again.

With characters like Jupiter Jack or the Herogasm event, I think it's easy to just wave them off as advertising for Vought. But Galaxius doesn't work for Vought, he's a true and honest supervillain. Because of this, there is no real reason to believe he isn't an alien. He is certainly presented as such and is clearly a parody of one. It's a surprising surplus of what The boys apparently it should be, but Garth Ennis apparently decided that involving aliens made the story more complicated of what had to be.

Having aliens would end up ruining the boys' overall story

In the end I think I understand why Garth Ennis made the decision to no longer incorporate things like aliens – or magic, which was also hinted at in the beginning. The boysbut ultimately never plays a prominent role – in the main plot. As Ennis continued to shape the story, its plot and themes came into focus, and he followed these threads to maximize the story's impact. This meant that certain elements had to be brought to the foreground, while others fell by the wayside.

While The boys It has superheroes and incredibly silly moments, it never reaches the point of absurdity that it can't be taken seriously in its essence. Because of this, I think it was a good thing that Garth Ennis abandoned the idea of ​​including aliens and magic, which would have made it more like a typical comic book universe. The boys There are already many absurd and incredible moments. It really didn't need aliens, even though I think it's a little strange that they confirmed the existence of aliens and never addressed the subject again.

The boys It's on sale now at Dynamite Comics!